The Duchess of Edinburgh looks chic in a fedora and Regency coat as she officiates with Prince Edward on Commonwealth Day
The Duchess of Edinburgh looked elegant in a tan ensemble as she stepped out at the Commonwealth Day service in London today.
Sophie, 59, appeared in good spirits as she accompanied her husband, Prince Edward, 60, to the service at Westminster Abbey.
The couple attended the event along with Queen Camilla, Prince William, Princess Anne, the Duke of Kent and the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester.
It comes amid a difficult time for the royal family, as evidenced by the absence of King Charles III and the Princess of Wales due to health complications.
Nevertheless, the beaming mother-of-two looked chic in a $2,990 custom-made Alabama mid-length coat from Suzannah London and a trendy cream fedora hat.
The Duchess of Edinburgh looked typically stylish as she arrived at the annual Commonwealth Day Service at Westminster Abbey
Sophie donned a maxi floral dress under her statement coat and added a touch of glamor with a pair of earrings.
The stylish royal wore her blonde locks up and kept her makeup bronzed yet neutral for the service.
Prince Edward, meanwhile, wore a simple black pinstripe suit with a patterned tie for the annual event.
The Commonwealth was founded in December 1931 and currently includes 54 countries. According to the royal family’s website, the organization’s purpose is “to promote international cooperation and trade relations between people around the world.”
It comes after the Princess of Wales was pictured next to Prince William leaving Windsor Castle today – just hours after apologizing for editing a family photo released on Mother’s Day.
The Prince of Wales headed to Westminster Abbey this afternoon for the annual Commonwealth Day service with his wife by his side.
But instead of an extraordinary return to royal duties, MailOnline understands Kate was heading to a private appointment instead.
It is not known where the Princess of Wales went, but it was clearly on her husband’s route to central London ahead of the 2.45pm service, attended by senior members of the Royal Family including Queen Camilla and Princess Anne.
Accompanied by Prince Edward, 60, Sophie was all smiles as she arrived at Westminster Abbey today
The mother of two showcased her style chops with the addition of a trendy fedora hat to her sophisticated ensemble
Edward, who celebrated his 60th birthday last week, waved to the crowds gathered outside Westminster Abbey
Kate, who looked out her window as William appeared to read some notes on his phone, would not be seen in public until after Easter following abdominal surgery and two weeks in a private hospital in London in January.
It came as Kensington Palace came under increasing pressure to release the original Mother’s Day photo after the Princess of Wales apologized after admitting she edited the family portrait of herself while with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis fed up.
The world’s biggest photo agencies would later “kill” the photo after noticing signs of digital editing, including a missing section of Princess Charlotte’s sleeve and the misaligned edge of her wrist and skirt, and the placement of Kate’s zipper.
This morning, the Princess of Wales apologized on social media. She said: ‘Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to apologize for any confusion the family photo we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone who celebrated had a very happy Mother’s Day.’ She signed it ‘C’ – for Catherine.
The royal couple were warmly welcomed at Westminster Abbey by a group of traditional Dhol drummers
Sophie took a front row seat next to Princess Anne (left), Prince Edward (right) and Prince William (far right) at the annual service
Sophie and Edward smiled as they observed the Commonwealth Day service from the front row
The mother-of-two accepted a bouquet of flowers from a group of schoolchildren outside the service
Kensington Palace initially faced calls to reveal the truth behind the photo after the world’s top photo agencies – including the Press Association – ‘killed’ the image over claims it had been digitally manipulated.
PR experts have described the Mother’s Day photo fiasco as a “major own goal” and have urged royal officials to release the unedited photo in a bid to regain public trust.
Kensington Palace initially faced calls to reveal the truth behind the photo after the world’s top photo agencies – including the Press Association – ‘killed’ the image over claims it had been digitally manipulated.
Kate admitted this morning that she had edited the photo and apologized personally “for any confusion” it had caused. Sky NewsAnalysis of the photo’s metadata revealed that the image was taken with a Canon camera and saved twice in Adobe Photoshop on an Apple Mac. Other experts suggested she may have used an AI tool.
Sophie beamed as she held a bouquet of flowers given to her by schoolchildren outside the event
The Duke of Edinburgh looked dapper for the occasion in a black pinstripe suit and bright blue shirt
The photo of the beaming mother-of-three with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis was the first official photo released of the princess since she underwent “planned abdominal surgery” in January.
Kate said in a statement on social media: ‘Like many amateur photographers, I occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to apologize for any confusion the family photo we shared yesterday caused. I hope everyone who celebrated had a happy Mother’s Day. C’
While the princess publicly took the blame for altering the photo, Kensington Palace said it would not reissue the unedited photo of Kate and her children.
PR expert Mark Borkowski said: ‘It’s likely she’s playing on the computer at home and using an AI tool, but if they really want to regain any trust they should release the unedited photo. they just made a few adjustments.
“I find that they have taken up the challenge, provided the explanation is given as an explanation. The question is, with all the conspiracy theories going around, will people believe it, and I’m not sure they will.”